One Patient’s Story: ‘That’s a Kill Shot’

Last August, Alan Pean, a 26-year-old college student with suspected bipolar disorder, was shot in an encounter with two off-duty police officers working as security guards at the Houston hospital where he had come for help. The near-fatal incident illuminates what can happen when mental illness, medicine and weapons — increasingly deployed by medical centers across the country — intersect. We’re telling the story in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago’s This American Life, so in addition to reading the article, you can hear Alan and his family reflect on his ordeal.

The episode of This American Life, hosted by Ira Glass, will air Friday evening and throughout the weekend on public radio stations across the country.